Embarrassment as Left rolls Ivy League MP Daniel Mulino in abortion row

YALE University-educated former adviser to Bill Shorten, Daniel Mulino, has been shunned by Victorian Labor.

A YALE University educated former adviser to Bill Shorten has been shunned by Victorian Labor as a replacement state upper house candidate after a blow-up in the Left faction over preselections and abortion.

Daniel Mulino is widely regarded as one of the best credentialed candidates for the Victorian parliament in years, having gained a PhD in economics from Yale and served as Mr Shorten’s financial services and economics adviser in the Gillard government.

But the broad Left faction has rolled state leader Daniel Andrews and imposed an elderly female party member to fill a casual vacancy for the Legislative Council until the November 29 election.

The decision has stunned members of the party’s Right faction and exposed some deep divisions in the Victorian Left, with forces loyal to senator Kim Carr opposing Mr Mulino’s pre-election elevation.

The Right has accused the Left of failing to embrace reform and embarrassing the federal Labor leader and Mr Andrews.

Ms Lewis is a respected party member but not considered a long-term parliamentary prospect.

Senior party sources said Mr Mulino had gained support from the shop assistants’ union, which has broadly opposed abortion. One reason stated for the Left opposing Mr Mulino is uncertainty about a potential vote on abortion if rebel Liberal independent Geoff Shaw is successful in advancing legislation clamping down on terminations.

However, Right sources said the decision was based on anger within the Left faction over the way Mr Andrews’s backers were approaching preselections.

“It’s Left on Left violence. It’s straight retribution for some stupid behaviour,’’ a Right source said.

The decision comes soon after the Victorian ALP conference failed to fully back Mr Shorten’s modernisation agenda.

Mr Andrews is a high-profile member of the Victorian Socialist Left.